[Author’s note: This is part of a writing challenge that Leslie Farnsworth issued. We will both write about the same subject and compare notes later on. She wrote her version on the 3rd of September, 2014. If you get a chance head on over to her blog at www.lesliefarnsworth.com and read not just her version of this topic but all of her postings. They are thought-provoking and well written articles and she loves to discuss the topics with her readers.]
I heard about 9/11 online. I was in an online chat room at the time when someone typed in that a plane had struck the first tower. I guess that make’s me a bit of a cultural cliché. Part of a generation that matured alongside with the internet. If I had not had internet access I might have not found out till I drove home in the afternoon.
My experience with alternate news sources isn’t just confined to this one example. I have been searching out unconventional news sources since my college days.
But why turn to alternate sources of news if we have such a robust news industry out there? Firstly, precisely for that reason. It is in fact an industry. The days that news reporting was strictly just about presenting facts are long past. News agencies and newspapers are owned entities. They have their owner’s slant stamped on everything that they produce. Even if they don’t have a particular slant, they have an obligation to be a money-making organization and that means entertaining their subscribers. Just as much entertainment as it is information and this tends to tinge news.
Another reason to check alternate news sources is embodied in a quote from the character Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse. When asked how he knew so much about communism Jeeves replied “It’s good to know what tune the devil is playing.” Meaning of course that if you don’t know what arguments that someone with an opposing view holds that you would not be able to counter them. If you stick to main line news sources then you will find that your world view is going to be somewhat narrow and that you’re going to be missing out on a lot of things.
So where to find those alternate sources of news?
Well the first and best place is going to be with those people around you that you know. Not necessarily your best friends but maybe your casual acquaintances. Those folks that have radically different life experiences. They can view the same event as you do in a different light and can guide you to resources that you might not know about. I know people from all shades of the political spectrum, from different religions, and economic groups. They all have opinions and valuable input to provide.
Next would be to step out of your comfort zone and actively seek out publications and websites you would not normally look over. I usually don’t have interest in things like fitness or fashion magazines but through them I’ve read articles on politics, technology, and social issues covered from new perspectives. Sometimes they reinforce my beliefs, sometimes they make me question them.
The last source of information is to be your own reporter. You may have a unique question that no one else has ever asked and maybe no one knows who or what to ask. It’s up to you to dig out the truth. Talk to people who normally don’t talk to strangers. Request information that isn’t normally requested. Your own patience and will to find the real story is your only limitation.
I find that going the extra mile and finding things out for myself rather than relying on the word of others usually leads to getting a much more precise and detailed picture of what’s happening in the world.
Recent Comments